Wow, what a powerful piece...read like a beautiful poem, with impact like a freight train of emotion. The "You are eighteen" section in particular took my breath away. Brilliant work!

CarpGreen chapter 1 . 11/16/2012

I definitely enjoyed it, even if I don't really understand what Sam did or the consequences which I think could, you know, add to the impact or something.

AvidReader chapter 1 . 9/4/2009

Wow completely mesmerizing. You wove together the present & flashbacks superbly. It completely drew me in and although it's all from Sam's POV, both brothers are character's are captured beautifully. Do write more.

Psychee chapter 1 . 8/31/2009

I enjoyed the story. I look forward to reading the others.

becky chapter 1 . 8/31/2009

I thought your story was excellant. It kept me focused and entertained. Keep up the good work.

I can't believe you feel discouraged about your Supernatural stories because this was BEYOND amazing. First off all, I really enjoyed the flashbacks & such, though I think there may have been some minor mistakes regarding Sam's age in canon events. At first, I was leery about (2nd person?) POV, but it was executed extremely well.

This was a fantastic read from start to finish. I hope to see A LOT more from you! :D

Anonymous chapter 1 . 8/31/2009

Really, really good. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and you should definitely continue writing stories.

lauren chapter 1 . 8/31/2009

I've never reviewed before. Really enjoyed it. Loved the first person POV from Sammy, and how it reveals Dean. Loved the present tense. Enjoyed the balance of plot and character, with flashbacks which served to sustain and move the story. Write more!

Wow. After reading this brilliant story it's difficult for me to see how you could EVER get discouraged. I'll just tell you how perfect this was and tell you I absolutely loved it. I hope that helps. Thank you and I hope you write tons.

There can never be enough gen in Supernatural or enough repentant!Sam fics in the world. I love your rendering of the brothers' relationship with each other. They're just so willing to give up so much of themselves for the other that it's just heartbreaking.

Anna chapter 1 . 8/30/2009

I loved this one. But the funny thing is, I don't know exactly why. I mean that I loved the flashbacks to earlier Sams. I loved the fact that Sam was willing to lose his leg, or his life, to save Dean. But there is more to it than that and it's that I can't explain. Let's just say its a little haunting, and it spoke to me. I guess its like a painting that you see and that draws you to it but you can't put into words why that is.

Beautifully written, and an expert use of second person, which brings the intimacy of first person yet instills a tangible distance between the narrator and his emotions. This voice (as well as present tense) adds to the tension of the plot, a feeling that Sam is speaking from memory, so that anything, anything at all could have happened, up to and including his death.

Your first line has punch, drawing the reader in, and your last line is simply lovely, poetic, tying together the love between the brothers. One can tell you're a professional novelist. The characterizations of Sam and Dean are breathtakingly spot-on, although Castiel seems a bit more Mid-Season 4 persona (cryptic, manipulative out of necessity) as opposed to his apparent change after he made his choice at the end of Episode 22.

The thing I appreciate most is the linear portion of the main Imriel plotlinel, the clever build and fake-outs that had me holding my breath as to what Sam had agreed to sacrifice for Dean. I also loved the ending, the things left to be filled in by the reader.

If you don't mind a touch of concrit, the parts that didn't work as well for me were the time jumps in the second half, primarily those that dealt with the Sam-Castiel-old man deal. To my mind, their positional placements were unnecessarily convoluted, giving me a few, "Who the what now?" moments. There are enough time jumps in this story to impart the reflective feeling I think you're aiming for, but the ones I mentioned above obscured the straightline plot without adding any significant emotional value. In my opinion, you could have easily kept those vignettes separate but in chronological order, and increased the plot clarity without sacrificing any big emotional reveals. The short vignette of Sam's time in Stanford also felt disconnected from the main pulse of the story. My opinion only, of course.

All in all, this story was a pleasure to read, especially on this site, and I look forward to your future contributions. Best of luck!